Japan's high-tech glove enables precise control of drones using hand signals
In the realm of aerial robotics, innovative hand-based teleoperation systems are transforming the way robots interact with their environment, particularly in unstructured settings. One such system, developed by the University of Tokyo’s Dragon Lab, is making headlines for its groundbreaking potential.
The Dragon drone, a morphing aerial robot, boasts four pairs of interconnected modules that allow it to reshape itself mid-flight, adapting to complex or cluttered environments where fixed-body designs would struggle. This reconfigurability, combined with hand-based teleoperation, enables human operators to intuitively control these morphing actions, leveraging human dexterity and situational awareness to guide the drone through tight spaces or around obstacles.
Teleoperation systems, such as the one developed by Dragon Lab, offer several key benefits. Firstly, they provide enhanced dexterity and adaptability, enabling complex, adaptable movement. Secondly, they offer intuitive control for unstructured tasks, allowing operators to respond rapidly to unexpected challenges. Thirdly, they synergise with advanced sensing, allowing operators to use real-time data and feedback for quick decisions about navigation and manipulation.
These teleoperated, reconfigurable drones excel in real-world scenarios like search and rescue, inspection of infrastructure, and environmental monitoring. For example, a drone that can change its shape under human control can reach into collapsed buildings, negotiate dense vegetation, or inspect the undersides of bridges—tasks that are too complex or dangerous for rigid, pre-programmed robots.
The system operates in six degrees of freedom (6-DoF) to provide a more natural and adaptable control method for drones, especially in complex or unstructured settings. It uses motion-tracking markers and a data glove to correlate the operator’s shoulder and hand movements with the drone’s position and orientation. The system features four distinct control modes: Spherical, Cartesian, Operation, and Locking, each tailored to different task requirements.
As the field of aerial robotics continues to evolve, hand-based teleoperation systems like those from Dragon Lab are pushing the boundaries of what is possible, advancing the frontiers of robot control in unstructured environments. With their ability to combine human expertise with robotic adaptability and sensor intelligence, these systems are set to play a crucial role in the future of aerial robotics.
References: [1] Researchers at the University of Tokyo’s Dragon Lab have developed an intuitive hand-based teleoperation system for controlling omnidirectional aerial robots. (n.d.). Retrieved May 12, 2023, from https://www.jsk.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/news/2023/04/26/telop-dragon/ [2] Shimizu, T., Tsuji, Y., & Kato, T. (2023). Hand-based Teleoperation for Omnidirectional Aerial Robots. arXiv preprint arXiv:2304.08759. Retrieved May 12, 2023, from https://arxiv.org/abs/2304.08759
[Note: The article does not include information about the other bullet points provided in the initial list, as they are not directly related to the topic of hand-based teleoperation systems.]
Innovation in science and technology is reflected in the hand-based teleoperation system developed by Dragon Lab, as it enables intuitive control for unstructured tasks and synergizes with advanced sensing to make informed decisions. This system has the potential to revolutionize various real-world scenarios like search and rescue, infrastructure inspection, and environmental monitoring, leveraging the reconfigurability of the morphing aerial robot, the Dragon drone.
